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He started career with Pirates
By Jimmy Golen
The Associated Press
BOSTON -- Tim Wakefield, the knuckleballing workhorse of the Red Sox pitching staff who bounced back after giving up a season-ending home run to the Yankees in the 2003 playoffs to help Boston win its curse-busting World Series title the following year, has died. He was 57.
The Red Sox announced his death in a statement Sunday that detailed not only his baseball statistics but a career full of charitable endeavors. Wakefield had brain cancer, according to ex-teammate Curt Schilling, who outed the illness on a podcast last week -- drawing an outpouring of support for Wakefield. The Red Sox confirmed an illness at the time but did not elaborate, saying Wakefield had requested privacy.
"It's one thing to be an outstanding athlete; it's another to be an extraordinary human being. Tim was both," Red Sox Chairman Tom Werner said in the team's statement. "I know the world was made better because he was in it."
The news brought condolences from baseball commissioner Rob Manfred and Players Association President Tony Clark -- a former teammate -- from Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and her predecessor, current NCAA President Charlie Baker, and from teams and players around the majors. Mariners pitcher George Kirby even broke out a knuckleball Seattle's game against Texas.
The Red Sox released a tribute video on X, formerly known as Twitter. Ex-catcher Jason Varitek fought back tears as he told reporters: "I don't know if I have to tell you anything. I think I'm showing it." Boston manager Alex Cora had all his players in the dugout wearing their jerseys without jackets or overshirts in the season finale against Baltimore, so they could represent the uniform proudly.
"We lost a brother, a teammate, a family member," Cora said. "One of the best teammates I ever had. … Of all the guys I played with, nobody wore his jersey with more pride than Tim Wakefield."
Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates as a first baseman who set home run records in college, Wakefield converted to pitcher after mastering the knuckleball in the minor leagues. Relying on the old-timey pitch that had largely fallen into disuse, he went on to win 200 major league games, including 186 with the Red Sox -- behind only Cy Young and Roger Clemens in franchise history.
Wakefield won the Roberto Clemente Award for sportsmanship and community involvement in 2010 and was the Red Sox nominee seven other times. He was the team's first Jimmy Fund captain, visiting with patients and raising funds for the childhood cancer charity, and the honorary chairman of the Red Sox Foundation.
"He was a great man who will be dearly missed," the Pirates said.